Aleethia!

As we move through the minor prophets, we’re noting the progression from one book to the next.

Hosea accused the people of unfaithfulness to the covenant. Joel accused them of indifference and apathy. Amos accused them of injustice, of acting just like the unbelievers around them.

Now, along comes Obadiah. How will his message fit with the theme and direction of the other prophets? What is his message?

His book is the shortest in the Old Testament. Only 21 verses.

We don’t know much about the prophet Obadiah. We can surmise an approximate date for his writing. Since he refers to the fall of Jerusalem, to the Babylonians, as a past tense event, we can assume he wrote sometime after 586 BC. And since he mentions the fall of Edom as a something yet to come, we can assume he wrote before 553 BC. So sometime during this 33 year span, the book of Obadiah was written.

It appears to have been written in Jerusalem shortly after the Babylonian destruction of 586 BC.

Let’s read the book and see if we can figure out what this prophet’s message is.

Read Obadiah

This prophecy is mainly concerned with the nation of Edom. Edom is located SouthEast of Israel, beyond the Dead Sea. The people of Edom are the descendants of Esau, the brother of Jacob.

Edom was a vassal state of Israel since the expansion under king David. In later years, Edom threw off Israeli control during the time of the divided kingdom, even going so far as to participate and rejoice in the destruction of Jerusalem (v11-12). For this reason, God announces judgment on the nation.

Obadiah begins his prophecy against Edom by announcing that Edom will be humbled. The nation has pride in its own strength and military advantages. The country was mountainous and difficult to attack. But God says the geography will do them no good.

Obadiah continues, to describe the completeness of the coming destruction. Human destruction would leave something behind (v5). God intends to destroy completely (v8-9, 18).

So Obadiah begins his work with an announcement of judgment on the nation of Edom.

In verse 10 he begins his task of exposing the sin for which they are to be punished. In this case it is the sin of social injustice toward Israel. Edom has done violence against Israel.

But not violence only, they have stood by and done nothing while enemies plundered Jerusalem.

Here’s how this works. My brother and I used to fight like it was a championship UFC match. I mean we would go at it! And I remember one day clearly. We were living in Lee’s Summit, MO, a suburb of Kansas City, and we were in the front yard just going at it. I don’t remember what we were fighting about, but I remember what happened next. The kid from across the street, Philip I think his name was, wandered across the street to watch the fight. Philip was about my age and he mistakenly thought this meant he should cheer me on in the fight against my brother. Big mistake on his part! With no communication needed, we both turned on him. We hauled him off his comfortable seat on the picnic table and we beat him good. He went home with a bloody nose and we got in trouble with Dad (at least while mom was looking on!).

The point is this, we are brothers. While we may fight amongst ourselves, no one had better mess with either of us, or they’ll have both of us to reckon with.

Edom was Israel’s brother. They should have been on Israel’s side of the fight, not Babylon’s. But they had allowed anger and bitterness to take root in their hearts and they joined forces against their brothers.

In their pride, the people of Edom took pleasure in Jerusalem’s downfall.

They gloated and rejoiced when Jerusalem fell.

How often are we like Edom? How often do we take pleasure in someone else’s calamity? A sibling fails a test and secretly you’re happy because it makes you look better to the parents. A Christian brother or sister gets caught in sin and secretly you gloat over their shame. You feel better about yourself. Hypocrite! You know your own heart far better than you know theirs. You are the worst sinner you know. Remember that! How much sin do you have in your own life that you do not want exposed to the rest of the world? Why should you take pleasure when it happens to someone else? Prideful hypocrisy.

It gets worse.

Not only did they take pleasure in the fall of Jerusalem. They participated in plundering the people of Israel.

We often act like Edom and join in the oppression of others. Someone at school or work is being ridiculed and made fun of. The easy thing is join in with the mob and laugh at them as well. The hard thing is stand between the mob and this hurting person and confront the mob’s action as wrong. The hard thing to be seen as a friend of the lowly.

And even worse, when survivors fled the destruction, the Edomites were there to cut off their way of escape, and instead of offering them refuge, rest, compassion, and protection, they turned them over to the enemy as captives.

Someone falls into sin, or financial failure and we’re quick to tell others about it. We’re quick o spread the news around and make sure there is no place they can turn for comfort. We cut off their escape from the situation.

It is for these social injustices the nation of Edom is to be judged.

Remember the accusation Amos made against Edom?

Obadiah has expanded on both the accusation and the judgment. Compare these two verses.

Notice the similarity?

Obadiah continues to announce judgment, describing the nature of the punishment to come on the “Day of the Lord.” Here, Obadiah picks up this theme of the day on which the Lord will judge all nations. He says the punishment will fit the crime.

Verse 17 is the first glimmer of hope we’ve seen Obadiah offer, but it’s not for the people of Edom.

The hope is given for God’s people, not their enemies. This is consistent with the other prophets’ descriptions of the final judgment, particularly Joel.

The final three verses of the book continue this theme of restoration for God’s people, and the coming of his kingdom.

After the message of Amos concerning social justice, Obadiah presents us with Edom as an example of how not to love your neighbor, and the consequences of doing so.

The implied question is this, “Will Israel do any differently?”

Obadiah presents us with an example of how not love your neighbors and how God deals with those who disregard his command and treat their neighbors poorly. The question Obadiah leaves hanging in the air is this,

Will God’s people act any differently?

The book of Jonah confronts us concerning our own attitude toward our neighbors, and toward our enemies as well. You’ve already heard that message.

So you can see the progression from Amos to Obadiah and then Jonah.

What I want you to leave here with tonight is this,

When someone else is hurting, when they have lost everything, when they have been humiliated, when they have suffered, even deservedly, how will you respond?

Will you join in their oppression, taking delight in their downfall?

Or will you show them compassion, mercy, gentleness, and protection from those who oppress them?

Will you act like God’s child, or Satan’s?